Single Serving Reusable Brewing Material Holder With Offset Passage for Offset Bottom Needle

ABSTRACT

A single serving beverage filter cartridge is formed by placing a single serving portion of brewing material into a reusable coffee holder having a lid and a base. The reusable coffee holder includes an offset passage in the bottom of the base and is insertable into a cartridge housing of a single serving coffee maker having an offset bottom needle reaching up vertically from the base of the housing, the offset passage providing clearance for the offset bottom needle. The coffee holder defines a frustoconical exterior and includes mesh filtering material for retaining brewing material inside the reusable coffee holder. The mesh material may be a metal mesh or plastic mesh. The reusable coffee holder is configured for use in single serving coffee makers having the offset bottom needle and designed for single use cartridges.

The present application is a Continuation In Part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/777,831 filed Jul. 13, 2007, a Continuation InPart of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/610,181 filed Oct. 30, 2009,and a Continuation In Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/620,584 filed Nov. 17, 2009, which applications are incorporated intheir entirety herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to single serving coffee makers and inparticular to a single serving reusable brewing material holderincluding a reusable mesh material to retain the brewing material in theholder.

Coffee is prepared in a coffee maker by measuring an amount of groundcoffee into a coffee filter, closing a lid over the ground coffee, andproviding a stream of hot water through the ground coffee. In recentyears, single serving coffee makers have become very popular, forexample, Keurig® coffee makers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,325,765 and 6,708,600disclose a housing and cooperating filter cartridge for use in a Keurig®coffee maker. While the housing and cartridge of the '765 patent arevery popular, the cost of single use cartridges far exceeds the cost ofthe brewing material contained in the cartridges. The '765 and '600patents are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing asingle serving beverage filter cartridge which is formed by placing asingle serving portion of brewing material into a reusable coffee holderhaving a lid and a base. The reusable coffee holder includes an offsetpassage in the bottom of the base and is insertable into a cartridgehousing of a single serving coffee maker having an offset bottom needlereaching up vertically from the base of the housing, the offset passageproviding clearance for the offset bottom needle. The coffee holderdefines a frustoconical exterior and includes mesh filtering materialfor retaining brewing material inside the reusable coffee holder. Themesh material may be a metal mesh or plastic mesh. The reusable coffeeholder is configured for use in single serving coffee makers having theoffset bottom needle and designed for single use cartridges.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided acoffee holder including a metal filter mesh material interposed betweenan interior and exterior of the holder to retain brewing material in theholder. The filter mesh material may be a metal or plastic mesh.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided acoffee holder having a bottom with an offset passage. The holder fitsinto existing single serving coffee makers having an offset bottomneedle and the offset passage provides clearance for the offset bottomneedle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be more apparent from the following more particulardescription thereof, presented in conjunction with the followingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a prior art single serving housing and filter cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a first single serving coffee holder accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the single serving coffeeholder according to the present invention taken along line 3-3 of FIG.2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the single serving coffeeholder according to the present invention taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2in the prior art single serving housing.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding componentsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated forcarrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in alimiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one ormore preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the inventionshould be determined with reference to the claims.

A prior art single serving housing 10 and single use filter cartridge 12disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,325,765 and 6,708,600 (incorporated byreference above) are shown in FIG. 1. The filter cartridge 12 includes apierceable shell 14 and contains brewing material 16. An upper needle 20penetrates the top of the shell 14 and an offset bottom needle 22penetrates the shell 14 when the housing 10 is closed on the cartridge12.

A side view of a first single serving coffee holder 30 according to thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 2. The coffee holder 30 includes alid 32 and a base 34. The base 34 includes a larger diameter top 34 aand a smaller diameter bottom 34 b and is generally frustoconical inshape.

A cross-sectional side view of the coffee holder 30 is shown in FIG. 3and a second cross-sectional view of the coffee holder 30 in the priorart single serving housing 10 is shown in FIG. 4. A passage 40 in thelid 32 is provided for the needle 20. The bottom of the base 34 includesan offset bottom passage 38 reaching upward into the base 34. The coffeeholder 30 defines an interior region 30 a and an exterior region 30 b.Lid 32 may be removably attachable to the base 34, or hingedly attachedto the base 34. The removable lid 32 may be an interference fit to thebase 34, or the lid 32 and base 34 may have cooperating threads tothreadably attach, or the lid 32 may otherwise attached to the base 34.

A concave down mesh filter 42 mesh filter 42 holds the brewing material16, and retains the brewing material 16 in the interior region 30 a ofthe coffee holder 30 separating the brewing material 16 from theexterior region 30 b of the coffee holder 30. The needle 20 reachesthrough the passage 40 in the lid 32 to inject hot liquid into thebrewing material 16 to make a brewed drink. A compliant ring 33 may beincluded to seal against the coffee maker. The offset bottom passage 38provides clearance for the lower needle 22.

The housing 30 is disclosed in FIG. 5 of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/777,831 filed Jul. 13, 2007 by the present applicant. The presentapplication is a Continuation In Part (CIP) of the '831 application,which '831 application was incorporated by reference above.

The mesh filter 42 is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/620,584 filed Nov. 17, 2009 by the present applicant, as a nylonmesh, metal mesh, or any material capable of holding the coffee whileallowing a flow of heated water through the coffee. The presentapplication is a Continuation In Part (CIP) of the '584 application,which '584 application is incorporated by reference above. Unlike filterpaper, the mesh filter may be cleaned and reused, and may be removablefrom the housing 30 for cleaning.

The housing 50 is disclosed in FIG. 6 of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/392,893 filed Mar. 28, 2006 by the present applicant for use witha coffee pod including filter paper, and the use of a mesh filter 42 isdisclosed in the '584 patent incorporated by reference above. Thepresent application is a Continuation In Part (CIP) of the '893application is incorporated by reference above.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means ofspecific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modificationsand variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

1. A reusable coffee holder comprising: a frustoconical shaped coffeeholder base comprising: a smaller diameter bottom; a larger diametertop; an interior; an exterior, and an offset passage in the bottom ofthe holder base; a holder lid closeable over the coffee holder top; anda mesh filter attached to the coffee holder and interposed between theinterior and the exterior of the holder base and retaining brewingmaterial deposited into the holder base through the holder top.
 2. Thereusable coffee holder of claim 1, wherein the mesh filter is a metalmesh filter.
 3. The reusable coffee holder of claim 1, wherein the meshfilter is insertable and removable for cleaning from the holder base. 4.The reusable coffee holder of claim 1, wherein the holder lid ishingedly attached to the holder base.
 5. The reusable coffee holder ofclaim 1, wherein the holder lid is detachably attachable to the holderbase.
 6. The reusable coffee holder of claim 1, wherein the holder lidincludes a male threaded portion and the holder base includes a femalethreaded portion and the holder lid is detachably attachable to theholder base by screwing the holder lid into the holder base and thecoffee is sandwiched between the male threaded portion and the holderbase to tamp the coffee.
 7. The reusable coffee holder of claim 1wherein the holder lid includes a center mating portion configured tocooperate with a nozzle of a coffee maker and including a seal forcooperating with the nozzle to prevent the escape of heated liquid fromthe coffee holder.
 8. The reusable coffee holder of claim 7, wherein thecenter mating portion including a compliant seal for sealing against apad portion of a coffee maker lid to prevent the escape of heated liquidfrom the coffee holder.
 9. The reusable coffee holder of claim 7,wherein the offset passage allows the holder to fit into existing singleserving coffee makers having an offset bottom needle, the offset passageproviding clearance for the offset bottom needle.
 10. A reusable coffeeholder for use in a single serving coffee maker having an offset bottomneedle, the coffee holder comprising: a frustoconical shaped coffeeholder base comprising: a smaller diameter bottom; a larger diametertop; an interior; an exterior, and a passage in the bottom of the holderbase for the offset bottom needle of the single serving coffee maker; ametal mesh filter material attached to the coffee holder base andinterposed between the interior and the exterior of the holder base andretaining brewing material deposited into the holder base through theholder top; and a holder lid closeable over the coffee holder top, theholder lid including a center mating portion of the holder lid forreceiving a nozzle of a coffee maker and sealing against the coffeemaker to prevent the escape of heated liquid during brewing.
 11. Amethod for using a reusable coffee holder in a single serving coffeemaker having an offset bottom needle for puncturing a single use coffeecartridge, the method comprising: opening a lid of the reusable coffeeholder, the reusable coffee holder comprising: a frustoconical shapedcoffee holder base comprising: a smaller diameter bottom; a largerdiameter top; an interior; an exterior, and an offset passage in thebottom of the holder base; a metal mesh filter attached to the coffeeholder base and interposed between the interior and the exterior of theholder base and retaining brewing material deposited into the holderbase through the holder top; and a holder lid closeable over the coffeeholder top, the holder lid including a center mating portion of theholder lid including a downward concave cavity for receiving a nozzle ofa coffee maker and sealing against the coffee maker to prevent theescape of heated liquid during brewing; placing a single serving portionof brewing material into the holder base; closing the lid of the coffeeholder; opening a coffee cartridge housing of the single serving coffeemaker; placing the coffee holder into the coffee cartridge housingaligning the offset passage with the offset bottom needle to cause theoffset bottom needle to reside in the offset passage in the bottom ofthe holder base; closing the coffee cartridge housing; and brewing abrewed beverage.